COST OF PROTEST

The following press release relates to a person (Linda Ware) acting for and on behalf of residents of Cilfrew against the siting of a LNG pressure reduction station within 600 metres of the village. After Linda Ware won the case the local authority won the appeal and are therefore claiming costs.
The Press Release:
"Linda Ware accepted an out of court settlement of the costs claim against her by Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council due to lack of full coverage of her legally aided environmental challenge by the legal services commission.
On Thursday 16th September 2009 the legal services commission withdrew funding from Linda Ware for the case on 22nd September 2009.
The solicitor and barrister, Richard Buxton and David Woolfe, for Linda Ware, proceeded to the hearing on a conditional fee agreement.
Should the case not have been settled out of court then the case would have progressed to the court of appeal once again.
Linda Ware should like it known that she is no longer prepared for her local authority to waste the taxpayers of Neath Port Talbot’s money on lengthy court proceedings.
The settlement was £7,000 in full and final settlement of costs. to be paid at a rate of £9.75 per week for 14 years until Linda Ware reaches the age of 75 years. This is the maximum legally permitted to be taken from the pension of Linda Ware. Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council have stated in the agreed offer that Linda Ware should not be bankrupted unless she defaults on this payment. It was also stated in the offer made to Linda ware by Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council that the debt would die with her should she not live for the requisite 14 years. It was stated by the Barrister for Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council that the reason NPT CBC is pursuing these costs is that Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council cannot be seen to be a ‘soft touch’ especially regarding environmental issues. It was also stated that the money was not why Linda Ware was being pursued; when NPT CBC knew she did not have the money to pay these costs. It was stated Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council pursued Linda Ware on a matter of principle.
At a time when cutbacks in all public services are biting hard and affecting education and jobs badly it seems there is plenty of PUBLIC money to pursue vindictive court cases in order to squash any individual that fights for the environmental rights of the people of their area."

Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council is the authority that lost millions of pounds when they invested in an Iceland Bank. A member of the council allegedly said the money would not be missed in view of their substantial reserves.

25.9.09